Typically, two-handle faucets have handle hubs that are either integrally formed with the handle bats or fixedly attached to the faucet escutcheon. The faucets incorporating these types of handle hubs are susceptible to tampering. For example, with readily available tools, vandals can remove these handle hubs to gain access to the valve cartridges of the two-handle faucets. Deliberate damage to or removal of the valve cartridges can cause significant water leakage from such faucets.
When a two-handle faucet includes handle hubs integrally formed with the handle bats, the combination handle hubs and handle bats are typically attached to the stems of the valve cartridges using mechanical fasteners. The valve cartridges are maintained in position in the two-handle faucet using cartridge retainers screwed onto collars formed on the faucet escutcheon. Tampering with such a two-handle faucet usually occurs when the combination handle hubs and handle bats are removed from the faucet, and the cartridge retainers are exposed. When exposed, the cartridge retainers can be unscrewed from the collars to remove the valve cartridges from the faucet or be subjected to excessive torquing. Excessive torquing can cause the connection between the cartridge retainers and collars to be compromised, and result in damage to the valve cartridges. Damage to the valve cartridges or removal thereof can result in significant water leakage from the faucet.
When a two-handle faucet includes handle hubs that are fixedly attached to the faucet escutcheon, the handle bats are attached to the stems using standard mechanical fasteners, and the handle hubs are typically screwed onto collars formed on the faucet escutcheon. Such handle hubs, like the above-discussed cartridge retainers, serve in maintaining the position of the valve cartridges in the two-handle faucet, and include apertures through which the stems of the valve cartridges extend. Tampering with such a two-handle faucet usually occurs in two ways. For example, because the handle bats are attached to the stems using standard mechanical fasteners, the handle bats can be removed from the stems using standard tools. When the handle bats are removed from the stems, the handle hubs can be unscrewed from the collars to remove the valve cartridges from the faucet. Furthermore, excessive torquing of the handle hubs, with or without removal of the handle bats, can cause the connection between the handle hubs and the collars to be compromised, and result in damage to the valve cartridges. As discussed above, damage to the valve cartridges or removal thereof from the faucet can result in significant water leakage from the faucet.
Therefore, there is a need for a two-handle faucet incorporating vandal resistant features to limit the possibility of tampering by limiting access to the valve cartridges of the faucet.